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Thursday, March 10, 2016

HEAVY RAIN CAUSING FLOODING THROUGHOUT MISSISSIPPI

PEARL – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has received storm reports from 13 counties due to the ongoing heavy rainfall throughout the state.According to the National Weather Service, some areas in the Mississippi Delta have received up to six to eight inches of rain over the last 24 hours. For today and tonight, areas in the Mississippi delta could receive new rainfall of three to eight inches. Areas along I-55 north and south of Vicksburg down to the Gulf Coast could see two to five inches of rainfall, and areas east of I-55 and north of Hattiesburg could see up to one to three inches.According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, some areas in south Mississippi could receive up to 10 inches of rain over the next few days. Coastal tides are two and a half to three feet higher than normal, so low lying areas could see minor to moderate inundation.

The public is asked to stay off roadways in flooded areas and have a plan in the event floodwaters threaten homes.

Breakdown by county:Bolivar: Several homes flooded. Several roads closed due to flooding and two roads closed due to damage.Claiborne: Two fishermen are missing on the Mississippi River. Claiborne County and the Miss. Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks are assisting.Coahoma: Several homes flooded.DeSoto: Several roads flooded and several roads closed. Three dams have breached. One home is at risk of damage, but has been evacuated. A few roads are at risk of damage.Hancock: Sandbags are being distributed at the following locations:

o Lakeshore Community Center: 6640 Lower Bay Road, Lakeshore.

o County Complex: 3068 Longfellow Road, Bay St. Louis.

o Hancock County Horse Arena: 4184 Kiln Delisle Road, Kiln.Marshall: Flooding in the Barton and North Red Banks areas. A few homes are affected due to roads being inaccessible. A few roads are closed.Panola: Several houses could be affected, but sandbagging has been started and is working.Sunflower: Inverness Elementary School has roof damage. Damage to a home in Inverness due to a tree falling. Five homes in Indianola at risk of flooding, with sandbagging operations ongoing.Tallahatchie: Five roads closed due to flooding.Tate: Several homes are at risk of flooding. One lane of Linwood Road is closed due to a box culvert failure.Tunica: Several homes flooded or inaccessible. Several roads closed due to flooding. Shelter is open at 1165 Abbay Drive at the G.W. Henderson Recreation Center.Washington: Several homes flooded or inaccessible. Residents needing sandbags in Greenville can call 662-378-1546. All other residents in Washington County needing sandbags can call 662-334-4322.Yazoo: Minor road flooding in Yazoo City.

For more information, go to MEMA’s website at www.msema.org, or download the MEMA mobile app on your iOS or Android device. The best way to get up-to-date information is to “Like” MEMA on Facebook, or “Follow” us on twitter.